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Woe Upon the Saucy Apron

I have the apron at about 90% completion. I’m terribly happy with the look of it, but not quite as thrilled at the execution. This project had two firsts for me: it was the first time I painted on fabric and the first time I free-motion machine quilted. Neither turned out to be as easy as I expected.

The paint… I used Tulip’s Soft fabric paint I bought at Micheal’s and butcher paper as a stencil. After I finished dabbing the paint on with a sponge, I noticed that the fabric was wrinkled where I was painting. I’m not sure why. I ironed it before I began and it wasn’t that way when I started painting. So, the wrinkle is a permanent part of the apron fabric now that the paint has dried. I’m making a similar apron for Mom and I’m going to try a different stenciling method with the wax paper. If I can figure out what I did wrong and (hopefully) what I’ll do right, I’ll post a tutorial here.

The free-motion machine quilting… Oy. Next time I buy a sewing machine, it must have two things: it must have a large (or, even better, extra-large) table and it must be able to stop with the needle up or down (as I choose). My machine does neither and I’m really feeling it now that I’m free-motion quilting. What was a minor inconvenience before is a real pain in the ass now. I mean, I expected the work to be imperfect – first time and all. But I didn’t expect it to be so onerous for lack of proper machinery. Eh, something else to put on the wish list. (Next time, I’m not buying a sewing machine made by a company that also makes refrigerators. Just saying.)

All in all, I mutter an indistinct “meh” on the whole crafting concept.

On to lighter things! I give you an embroidered rooster:

The rooster wall hanging I made for Dad last Christmas.

He’s pretty. He’s prettier up close.

I embroidered the rooster by hand and crazy quilted around him.

He’d be even prettier here, except that I still can’t figure out what’s going on with my camera. Pbbbt.

Today, I yell a defiant “MEH!” to technology in general. MEH, I tell you.